As of Christmas Day, the iconic STAPLES Center will be no more.
When the Los Angeles Lakers host the Brooklyn Nets, it will tip-off a new era in downtown L.A. with Crypto.com officially taking over the naming rights for the arena.
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Crypto.com paid upwards of $700 million for the naming rights over the next 20 years, with the valuation of the deal, making it one of the largest ever in professional sports history.
Playing against the San Antonio Spurs in the final game at "STAPLES," the Lakers paid tribute to the house that Shaq and Kobe built with a tribute video, reliving some of the most iconic moments in the building.
Here's to our favorite stories, and to the ones yet to be written. pic.twitter.com/mqzBfyxRLA
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 24, 2021
Over the past 22 years, STAPLES Center has hosted seven NBA Finals series with the Lakers, along with three NBA All-Star Games (2004, 2011 and 2018), creating a ton of legendary moments near and dear to the hearts of Lakers fans.
Lakers.com's Joey Ramirez posted a poll on Twitter for the most iconic STAPLES Center moments, which had over 23,000 votes at the time of writing, with Kobe's 60-point game in his final outing in the Purple and Gold taking the top spot.
This is the hardest question ever!!! https://t.co/k8pJx3IFnh
— kuz (@kylekuzma) December 23, 2021
So with that said, on the final day at STAPLES, let's revisit the top 5 Laker moments at the arena.
1. Kobe's finale
What a way to end a legendary 20-year career with the Lakers.
Bryant, a 5-time NBA champion — and in Magic Johnson's words, the 'greatest Laker of all time' — farewelled the STAPLES Center in stunning fashion (and also in the most Kobe way possible) dropping 60 points against the Utah Jazz in a 101-96 victory while attempting a career-high 50 shots!
"It's hard to believe that it happened this way," he said after notching the sixth game of 60-plus points in his career. "I'm still in shock about it."
In front of a sold-out crowd, it felt like every celebrity in Hollywood was in attendance to watch the greatest show in L.A. — Kobe.
And put on a show he did.
2. The Kobe-Shaq alley-oop game
Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal combined for one of the greatest plays in Lakers history — and that's saying something considering how many you could easily rattle off.
The Lakers took a 3-1 series lead before dropping two straight games, setting up a win or go home Game 7 at STAPLES Center. Trailing 75-60 with 10:28 remaining in the game, the Lakers mounted a legendary comeback, capped off by Bryant's alley-oop to O'Neal that sent them to the NBA Finals.
The Lakers would go on to beat the Indiana Pacers in six games, bringing the duo their first NBA title and the franchise's first three-peat since 1988.
3. Kobe's 81-point masterpiece
This could arguably be No. 1 on the list, given it's Bryant's single-best scoring performance and the second-highest scoring performance of all time, only behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points.
In a 122-104 comeback win over the Toronto Raptors, the Lakers needed every one of Bryant's buckets as he torched anyone who dare guard him with the full array of his offensive arsenal. He finished with 81 points on 28-of-46 shooting, including 7-of-13 from 3-point range and 18-of-20 from the free throw line.
Even Kobe couldn't quite believe it.
“Not even in my dreams,” Bryant said after the all-time performance. “That was something that just happened. It’s tough to explain. It’s just one of those things."
4. Game 7 of the 2010 Finals
Game 7. At home. Against your fiercest rival. It doesn't get much sweeter than that.
The Lakers secured their 16th NBA championship in dramatic fashion, rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 7.
It was Bryant's fifth championship and the Lakers' second in a row.
"This one is by far the sweetest, because it's them," Bryant said after the win. "This was the hardest one by far. I wanted it so bad, and sometimes when you want it so bad, it slips away from you. My guys picked me up."
5. Robert Horry's game-winner
It got LeBron's vote, so it's going on the list.
Robert 'Big Shot' Horry delivered an iconic buzzer-beater to beat the Kings in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals — one of the most iconic shots in Laker history.
Probably need to add Big Shot Rob game winner vs Sac!! 1,000%
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 24, 2021
Trailing by two points in the final seconds and staring down the barrel of a 3-1 series deficit, Horry let it fly to give the Lakers the 100-99 win. They would go on to beat the Kings in seven games before defeating the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.
Farewell STAPLES. Thanks for the memories.
